Type-bar mechanism for type-writers.



No. 7|3,703. Patented Nov. l8, |902..

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TYPE BAR MECHANISM FOR TYPE WRITERS.

{Application filed Aug. 27, 1900.p

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GEORGE H. SMITH, OF CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO UNION TYPE- /VRITERCOMPANY, OF JERSEY OITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

TYPE-BAR MECHANISM FOR TYPE-WRITERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 713,703, dated November18, 1902. Application filed August 27,1900. Serial No. 28,143. (Nomodel.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cedar Rapids, in the county of Linn and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Type-Bar Mechanism forType-WVriters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable oth-Io ers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates more particularly to front-strike type-writers,in which the writing is exposed to the operators View as fast as made;and the object of the invention is to improve the construction of thetypebar and related mechanism, so as to impart to it extreme lightnessand rapidity of movement.

The nature of the invention will clearly appear from the description andclaims following, reference being had to the accompanying drawing,forming a part of this specification.

In the drawing the invention is illustrated in a single figure inperspective.

In the drawing,A A designate a pair of diagonal arms springing from theframe B of the machine, only a fragment of which is shown, as it is notessential to a proper understanding of this invention. To the upper partof these arms are attached the type-bar guides O by suitable screws D.Below one of these guides is secured a spring E, the free end of whichextends across the path of the typebar F, which is mounted in acrown-bearing G, secured to the main frame.

The type-bar is preferably made of c0mparatively thin sheet-steel andprovided with a suitable pivot or stud F between its ends to 0 engagesaid bar. To the short arm F of the type-bar is attached a link H, whichin turn is connected to suitable key-operating mechanism. (Not shown.)To the upper end of 'the type-bar is attached the type I in the usualway. At the opposite side of the pivot the type-bar has an extension Fand to this is attached a counterweight J in any suitable way.

When the type-bar is at rest, the weight J, which is on the oppositeside of the pivot of the type-bar, substantially counterbalances thegravity of the latter and tends to cause it to rise and move rearwardlytoward the printing-point, and in consequence of this disposition of theweight J it requires less force to lift the type-bar to print, and thefingers of the operators are thereby greatly relieved of work which theywould otherwise have to perform. The short operating-arm F of thetype-bar is at an angle to the body .of the type-bar and at an angle tothe weight and its support or extension F The type-bar is mounted toprint when in a vertical position and is supposed to swing downwardlythrough an arc of about ninety degrees. Evidently in the case of anytypebar mounted in this way there is considerable inertia to overcome,owing to the weight of the type-bar and its terminal type. At the sametime the ordinary type-bar when mounted in this way does not from thenature of things retreat so quickly from the printing-point as does thestyle of type-bar hung to print on the bottom side of the platen, nothaving the advantage of its own gravity to aid in this operation.Consequently it becomes necessary to provide for the recoil of thetype-bar by means of a spring tending to force the type-bar backwardlyand downardly. In the forward movement of the type-bar the tension ofthis spring (not shown) is of course added to the gravity of thetype-bar itself, and thus the freedom of the forward movement of thetype-bar is doubly obstructed, so to speak. To compensate for thisinherent objection in this style of typebar mounting, I have providedfor balancing the type-bar itself by means of the counterpoise J, abovementioned. In this way the operator has practically nothing but thetension of the spring (not shown) to reckon with in throwing the typeforward, and the action of the type-bar and correspondingly the keys ofthe type-writer are thus very greatly relieved. In practiceit has beendemonstrated that a type-bar of this class provided with thiscounterbalance has all of the softness of touch and smartness andelasticity in action that is commonly supposed to pertain alone to thedepending style of type-bars.

To give still greater smartness to the recoil of the type-bar, a springE is interposed between the type-bar and the platen. (Not shown.) Thisspring intercepts the type-bar but a short distance from the end of itas struck and is not suflicient to impede the forward movement of thetype-bar which has received such an impetus from the finger of theoperator that its own momentum carries it to the printing-point despitethe slight out- Ward pressure of the spring. As soon as the printing hasbeen accomplished, however, the tension of the spring is exertedinstantly and the type-bar is forcibly thrown back from the platen andbegins its descent to normal position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a front-strike type-writing machine wherein the type-bars have anupwardly and rearwardly swinging movement, the combination with thetype-bar, of a counterbalancing-weight arranged at the rear end of thetype-bar and operating against the gravity of the type-bar so as toproduce a lifting effect on the latter in the direction of theprintingpoint; whereby the touch is relieved, substantially, of theresistance of the weight of the type-bar in the printing movement of thelatter.

2. In a front-strike type-writing machine, wherein the type-bars have anupwardly and. rearwardly swinging movement, a pivoted type-bar having anextension at the rear of the pivot and provided with a weight and anoperating-arm arranged at an angle to the body of the type-bar and tosaid weight-bearing extension.

3. In a front-strike type-writing machine, the combination with upwardlyand rearwardly swinging radially-arranged type-bars adapted to strike ata common center, a guide arranged in proximity to said common center fordirecting all of the types thereto, and a spring arranged adjacent tosaid type-guide and having the portion thereof, which is adapted to bestruck by the type-bars, arranged transversely of the guide-opening inthe type-guide and said spring being adapted to be acted upon by all ofsaid type-bars at near the end of their printing movements and adaptedby its recoil to throw said type-bars away from the platen after theprinting has been effected and the type-operating means relieved ofpressure.

4. In a front-strike type-Writing machine, the combination with theupwardly and rearwardly swinging type bars provided withcounterbalancing-weights tending to lift said type-bars toward theprinting-point, of a center guide common to all of said type-bars, and aspring arranged at said center guide tending to throw said type-barsaway from the printing-point and the center guide after the typeimpressions have been made and the type-bar-operating means relieved ofpressure.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE H. SMITH. Witnesses:

J. F. GROA'I, J. M. ST. J OHN.

